The grand prize for the contest was not only tickets for the entire weekend of ACL but free hotel, travel and merchandise. Mays began by finding inspiration for her flag design, stalking “ACL Mike” via Facebook and Twitter.

“So I saw a flag with his recognizable face ““ big gnarly beard, black sunglasses and an orange trucker hat that showed up in every picture on Facebook ““ holding a beer in front of the view of the Austin skyline from Zilker Park, where ACL is held every year,” Mays said when describing her vision for the project.

Once the design was complete, she enlisted the help of her friends, family and ACL fans in a campaign to promote her entry on various social networking sites.

Evaluated by a panel of ACL judges based on the criteria of substance, creativity and originality, her hard work paid off. Lindsay Mays was awarded the title of “People’s Choice,” earning her two three-day passes, ACL merchandise, and a print of her design which was used at the festival.

“So naturally when we got to ACL we had to go meet the famous ACL Mike and snap a few photos,” Mays said. “All in all it was a fun experience ““ and I guess ACL was pretty fun too.”